C.2. The Dunham Massey Estate

For the descent of Dunham Massey, see Ormerod [ORMEROD82] (Vol 1, pp. 526-30).  The family connections here become a little complicated.  The following is the best description I can reconstruct.

The manor of Dunham-Massey was originally held by Hamon Massy, first baron of Dunham, under Hugh Lupus, earl of Chester in the reign of William I.  The manor then passed successively through a total of five Hamon Massy descendants (all named Hamon Massy) until the last, dying without male heir, the manor was divided among many co-heirs.  Henry de Grosmont, first Duke of Lancaster bought out all the co-heirs, re-united the estate and assigned Dunham to Roger le Strange of Knocking.  From here the manor somehow became divided again between Fittons, Duttons, Venables and Masseys, until Robert Booth, a younger son of John Booth of Barton acquired several properties from Sir William Venables (died 1421) by marriage to his daughter and co-heir, Dowse Venables.  This Robert Booth then laid claim to the Dunham estate, and the matter was finally settled when Sir Thomas Stanley and William Chantrell, his Sergeant-at-law acquired half of Dunham for themselves (a fourth part each) in 1433, Robert Booth retaining the other half.  William's younger brother John married Lucy, sister of Robert Booth.  The descendants of William Chantrell continued the line of Catheralls of Horton, whilst John acquired the manor of Bache, just south of Chester, around 1434 and started the line of Chauntrells of Bache.  John's great grandson continued the alliance with the Booths when he married Elizabeth Booth (whose name appears in the manuscript of St. Erkenwald), great great great granddaughter of Sir Robert Booth of Dunham Massey (the Booths had a run of very short-lived descendants, William, William and George who held the manor for only 7, 12 and 12 years respectively.)

Ormerod seems to confuse this Elizabeth with a later Elizabeth (possibly a daughter or granddaughter) who married Randle Holme [HOLME], and who was mayor of Chester in 1633.  This Randle Holme was descended from the Norleys of Norley, east of Delamere Forest, and Alice Sparke of Bickerton, who claimed descent from the Catheralls of Horton, who also held land in Norley.  Ormerod [ORMEROD82] says Alice Sparke was the husband of Ralph Catheral, a younger brother of the ancient house of Horton, but Ormerod's pedigree of Catherall of Horton shows Ralph marrying Margaret Sparke, not Alice.  Alice Sparke's father, Roger, was living 7 Henry VIII (1516).